6 Yoga Poses Guaranteed to Ground You on Earth Day

Celebrating Earth Day with Mind, Body and Spirit

Each day, we are blessed by the bounty that Mother Nature bestows upon us; we bask in her sunshine, refresh under her flowing waters and walk upon the great earth that holds us solid upon our feet.

In honor of Earth Day, our team of yoga instructors would like to share with you the yoga poses that most ground them and help them feel a deeper connection to our incredible planet.

Abigail Murthy, Yoga Instructor at o2living

Earth Day inspired pose: Side Crow

“Parsva Bakasana, Side Crow, is one of my absolute favorite poses. It involves a fair amount of strength, deep twisting, a willingness to let go of your fears, and most importantly balance. For me, one of the biggest benefits of yoga is maintaining and cultivating balance; that sense of being centered keeps me grounded in the here and now. In Side Crow you are grounding down through your hands and it feels like you're both hugging the earth and floating above it!”

Anna Bellard, Yoga Instructor at o2living

Earth Day inspired pose: Half Moon

“Ardha Chandrasana, half moon pose. I love to come into this pose without touching the ground. Working both balance and core strength, grounding the body with one leg strongly rooted to the earth, while the rest floats effortlessly above the ground.”

David Wilder, Yoga Instructor at o2living

Earth Day inspired pose: Inverted Mountain

“Headstand is one of my favorite poses. In headstand we take the mountain which is grounded and stable over its center of gravity; and with our imagination and courage we turn it upside down, stabilize it on a surface, and balance it over the center of gravity. This pose requires focus and awareness of where we are and how we are responding to the environment. It requires the mind to remain undisturbed from outer distraction. When I am aligned and balanced over the center of gravity; I am grounded and feel secure and safe in a seemingly uncomfortable, scary, and perhaps even dangerous situation. 

Inversions are much like the many challenges of life. There are times when life gets turned upside down. Our mat practice prepares us to navigate the unpredictable waves of life. I love this pose because it lifts my spirit. My mind body, and my physical body work together to give my spirit a ride on the journey of discovery. Namaste.”

Kristi McNeill, Yoga Instructor at o2living

Earth Day inspired pose: Sukhasana

"The practice of grounding through Sukhasana, easy seated position, with eyes closed is one of my favorites. Feeling earth connection and drawing energy up as well as closing eyes to tune in. I love this photo because I can see with my eyes open the areas of my outer body that are uneven or that could use more space. When I close my eyes I can feel them and send them beautiful loving breath."

Alison Aronson, Yoga Instructor at o2living

Earth Day inspired pose: Dancer’s Pose

"I love dancer's pose because it's a perfect metaphor for life: Constantly trying to balance between all the things you strive for and all the things that hold you back!" 

Renee Simon, Yoga Instructor at o2living

Earth Day inspired pose: Tree Pose

"Nature and yoga always ground me. Doing both together is particularly healing. I find the tree pose especially grounding because as you root to the earth you expand out exponentially into the universe.”

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